The request was for her daughter-in-law, who was offered a private area away from the crowd without anyone skipping a beat.

“What pleased me was that his facility understood that this was something they should do,” she said.

Norton wants all mothers to easily have access to a private space when they need it for pumping breast milk. Her legislation to help make that happen in federal buildings passed the House by voice vote on Tuesday evening.

The bipartisan bill, called the Fairness for Breastfeeding Mothers Act, would require federally owned or leased buildings to provide designated private and hygienic spaces — other than a bathroom — for nursing mothers. She said the bill doesn’t require new exclusive spaces to be permanently set aside for lactation. It offers already-existing lactation spaces to members of the public and visitors on an as-needed basis.

“We’ve been trying to encourage mothers in the United States for decades now to nurse their baby because of the many benefits in childhood and further in life that come from nursing,” she said. “This bill is major when it comes to children’s health.”

Federal law already requires large employers to provide such a space for employees to pump breast milk for newborns. But Norton said she was appalled two years ago when she learned the Smithsonian Institution didn’t have adequate space for this purpose, as required by law.

“It does tell me the federal government needs to get on the stick more,” she said.

The issue at the Smithsonian was brought to light after a complaint by the American Civil Liberties Union and the First Shift Justice Project, a group that helps low-income pregnant women and parents on workplace rights issues. Since then, the institution made additional private health rooms available to employees and the general public.

Crystal Mauras breastfeeds her 2-month-old son, Christopher Rhodes Jr, outside City Hall during a rally to support breastfeeding in public on Aug. 8, 2014, in New York City.(Photo: Andrew Burton, Getty Images)

Laura Brown, First Shift’s executive director, said her concern is that Norton’s bill could undermine a woman’s right to breastfeed in public or inconvenience working women by making them share those spaces with the general public.

“I feel like if the law passed that, in fact, as visitors they may have better luck getting space than employees,” Brown said.

The Congressional Budget Office on Feb. 28 reported that it couldn't point to comprehensive information on the number of lactation rooms in public buildings. It estimated that implementing the bill would cost less than $500,000 annually for certain installation costs because it would not affect many buildings.

Pointing to health benefits for the mother and baby, the surgeon general issued a call to action to support breastfeeding in 2011, with guidance for employers, community leaders and policymakers. Breastfeeding rates are on the rise, but most states are not meeting targets for the duration or exclusive breastfeeding, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

While most mothers initiate breastfeeding, many don’t continue through the first year, suggesting they may not be getting the support they need, the CDC's 2016 Breastfeeding Report Card states.

“We still need to make progress,” said Gina Boling, a lactation consultant with the Breastfeeding Center for Greater Washington. For many mothers, going back to work is the biggest challenge. But “cultural taboos” that make them feel uncomfortable breastfeeding in public can also be an impediment, she said.

Norton said her bill would help mothers who need to pump breast milk or who want to nurse their babies in private.

“You want to do everything you can to encourage nursing,” she said.

Norton’s bill passed the House last year as part of another bill, but the Senate didn’t take it up. She’s now shopping for a Senate sponsor. But she thinks it has a good shot. The ease at which it cruised through the House is “unheard of,” she said.

“It’s very much a major health issue hidden (in) plain sight,” she said. “The federal government needs to be on top of this and so do cities and states. This is something you could really do for your baby, no matter what your economic bracket.”